The process of human settlement throughout the Galaxy did not go smoothly. The first interstellar war between earthlings and Orions turned out to be only the beginning of many years of bloodshed. The three-way conflict of earthlings, Orions and Ophiuchus, known as the Second Interstellar War, ended with the unexpected unification of former enemies in the face of a common danger - an attack by the Rigellians, which later received the name of the Third Interstellar War. The reigning calm was interrupted by alarming events: the astrographic flotilla stumbled upon an unknown enemy - arachnid fleet. The enemy is mysterious, cunning and ruthless, he has a highly developed industry, a powerful fleet and is focused on the total destruction of the inhabitants of conquered star systems. Among the personnel of the Nineteenth Astrographic Flotilla, heading under the command of Admiral Eileen Sommers to one of the nodes of space - the site of a supposed enemy attack, alarming rumors spread that the "spiders", which have dominated the human worlds for more than three years, are not only devouring the population of conquered planets, but they also breed intelligent creatures for meat...